“It’s kind of ridiculous that they have to lock it up,” said UOP student Sang Vo.

In Modesto and Stockton laundry pods that used to be easily accessible are no more.

Walmart spokesperson Charles Crowson gave KTXL this statement:

No retailer is immune to the challenge of crime and Walmart is no exception. The decision about which items are subject to additional in-store security is made on data gathered at the store level and often at the discretion of the store manager.

While Walmart would not say if the Tide Pod Challenge affected the decision, UOP students KTXL spoke to believe the viral trend may have had an impact.